1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote vehicular brake system performance testing system/method which allows the performance of vehicular brake systems, especially the service brake systems of heavy-duty on-highway trucks, to be remotely tested in a roll-by test from a location remote from the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heavy-duty on-highway vehicles, such as tractor-semi-trailer vehicles, are required under state and/or federal laws and regulations (such as U.S. Department of Transportation CFR 393.52) to maintain certain minimum braking performance, which requires proper maintenance and adjustment of the vehicle brakes and brake systems. To assure that heavy-duty vehicles comply with existing brake performance, maintenance and/or adjustment laws and regulations, periodic inspection of vehicle brake systems are performed by various governmental agencies, such as state highway patrols and the like.
Such periodic inspections are less than satisfactory as they require stoppage of the vehicle and physical testing and measurement of brake systems on each vehicle and are thus extremely time-consuming, expensive and only practicable for very infrequent random usage. Such infrequent/random testing is not a significant inducement to cause some track operators to maintain their truck brakes in proper repair and adjustment.